Urban school of timber design:
The intended purpose of the combined studio and workshop is to move beyond paper architecture to create an educational environment that delivers real community projects. This project explored the following areas of architectural research and was also heavily informed by thesis research in Extending the Resilience of the Queensland house and the responsible and sustainable reuse of our existing timber housing stock.

Regrounding, a return to ground conditions:
Understanding that this Hawthorne site is part of a larger floodplain of the Brisbane River, raises the question, How do we build in a floodplain? The ground plane therefore needed to be permeable, public space and specific private studio and workshop programs were elevated above 1:100 year flood datum by recreating a 'forest of stumps' experience and public undercroft similar to the adjacent Queenslanders. These adjacent Queenslanders were extended to the street to provide dormitory style accommodation for students.

Returning life to the street:
By orientating living to the street and to the northern edge, the community is once again engaged in the activities of the studio and workshop via a public journey made through the site whilst still remains connected to the landscape. The building is hinged around an existing mango tree and landscaped courtyard that in return connects the elevated decks back to the landscape.

Building in a contemporary vernacular tradition:
Constructed largely from recycled timber materials the new contemporary additions build upon the successful attributes of the Queensland house for our subtropical climate, namely: the verandah threshold like qualities, light weight and economic structural system and specific attention to the solar access, shading and cross ventilation.